Disgruntled Muslim Workers Plan Protest At Amazon Headquarters

By: Christopher Feery | May 26, 2017

Internet giant Amazon has flipped the world of retail on its head, and it continues to make some serious headway in other industries as well. It seems as if the company moves at the speed of light, but some employees feel the company needs to slow it down a bit and provide them with some time to catch up on their daily prayers. As Fox News shares, some disgruntled Muslim employees are planning a protest at the company’s Seattle headquarters.

What’s more, those same employees have filed a lawsuit over the whole thing. The employees work as security guards at the facility, and they’re essentially demanding that they should receive the time and the space to pray five times a day - all while being on the clock. The employee’s have made some bold claims against the the subcontractor that employs them. Among their gripes are that their faith is not being properly accommodated, and that those that speak out against those injustices risk earning the wrath of the subcontractor.

No word on why the employees did not address the issue as a condition of their employment prior to being hired. Whether the requests would have been accommodated or not is another matter entirely, but at least that way everyone is playing from the same rulebook at the start of the game.

In fairness to the employees, they claim that such accommodations are granted for some of Amazon’s highly-paid tech employees. The Service Employees International Union is backing the aggrieved employees up on those assertions, so you can bet that will be a huge talking point as the case plays out in court.

This case bears watching, as it could provide some clarity and precedent for future cases involving matters of religion in the workplace. While all faiths and creeds deserve respect and acceptance, there also has to be some wiggle room on the part of the employees.